Lumber handling and piling machine



July 20 1926. 1,593,225

W. STARKEY LUMBER HANDLING AND FILING MACHINE Filed Feb. 6, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l M 15 v a July 20 1926-.

. W. STARKEY LUMBER HANDLING AND FILING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 1925- 16 u eni ai'r Patented July 20, 1926.

UN l "l" E9 'l" .A "YES isms smear OFFICE.

LUMBER HANDLING AND FILING MACHINE.

Application filed February 6, 1925. Serial No. 7,393.

This invention relates to improvements in conveyors and especially those types of conveyors which are adapted to handle and pile lumber.

5 It is an objectoi the invention to provide adevice adapted to successively litt separate articles of lumber placed thereon, and to provide means for automatically removing the articles otlumber from the lifting means and conveying them by means of a gravity conveyor to the desired location where the lumber is to be used or piled.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a lumber handling and piling device, which will be of simple and cheap construction. and which cannot be easily injured under the rough usage to which the device may be put.

With the foregoing and other objects in View which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and pointed out in the appended claims, reference is had to the accompanying drawings for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, whereinr Figure 1 is ,a side elevation of the improved lumber handling and piling device;

Fig. 2 is a View in elevation taken substantially in the direction of the arrow 2 upon Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a substantially horizontal section taken'on'the line 3430f Fig. 2; and

4 is a partial perspective view illustrating a-detail of construction.

Referring ,to ,the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters designate similar pants throughout, the improved lumber handling and piling device consists of side rails 10 and 11 which are joined as by transverse'rails 12 to form a frame. The frame i preferably supported upon ground wheels 13 by means of brackets 14 or any other suitableconstruction so that the ground wheels will readil permit the frame and structure carried t iereby to be moved from place :to place. 7 v

A support is mounted upon the frame, and this support preferably consists of four posts or columns 15 having their upper ends joinedasby beams 16. Against the forward posts or columns 15 there are placed inclined members 17 having their upper ends resting upon the columns .15 and their {lower ends resting upon the forward ends of the side rails 10 and 11.

Upon the rearward part of the name there may be mounted a motor 18 which may be an electric motor of any suitable "construction or a gasoline engine, or the -like.

Suitable bearing blocksare moiinted upon the front sides of the columns 15 and these provide bearings for a shaft "19. 1A pulley 20 is keyed upon the shaft 19 and a snalljer pulley 21 is keyed upon the shaft 19 adjacent the pulley '20. A suitahle'belt brother 05 driving connection 22 passes I over the ulley 20 and the drive pulley 2816f the in'o or 18. Bearing blocks are mounted upon the side rails 10 and 11 and provide bearings for a shaft 24. Upen'aie shaft 24 there are keyed a pulley '25 and a sprocket 26. A belt 27 passes over the pulley 21 and over thepulley 25 so that rotation of the shaft '19 causes rotation oithe shaft '24, Upon the, under side of the side rails 1:0 and 11 bearing blocks are provided, providing bearings for a shaft 28, upon which is mounted-a sprocket 29. Pulleys 30 and 31 are also keyed tov the shaft 28. A sprocket chain ,32 passes over the sprocket 26 and over the sprdbket 29 so that the shaft 28 may be driven by the shaft24. Adjacent the top of the for- Ward columns or posts 15, suitable bea'ring blocks are provided which "provide bearings for a. shaft 33, and pulleys are mounted thereon; Endless chains 35aret1iained over the pulley 34 and over the pulleys ,30 and 31 respectively. These end-less chains may be of any suitable construction, and at'suitable intervals certain links may be provided with hooks36. ihe chains 35 are disposed adjacent the inclined members 17, "and in the preferred form of construction the slack which may :be in these chains permits them to slide over portions of the inclined memhere 17 as clearly shown-.inrig. S.

Upon the forward faces or the inclin'ed members '17 thereare mounted rails 37 upon which are slida ble brackets 38. Thebrackets 38 carry deflectors 39 which have their lower ends tapered toward the inclined memhere 17, as indicated at 40. The upper ends or the deflectors 39 extend outwardly away from the inclinedmembers 17, as indicated at 41;, and a cross bar 42 is supported upon 5 the portions 41 of the deflectors 39. Mend bers 43 are suspended from the cross bar 42 and support a conveyor, indicated generally at 44. The conveyor 44 consists of side bars 45 between which are pivotally mounted rollers 46. The members 43 are preferably three in number, and the center member 43 has its upper end pivoted to the cross bar 42, as indicated at 47. The upper end of the members 43 have a plurality of apertures formed therein, indicated at 48, which are adapted to receive pins adapted to pass through apertures at each end of the cross bar 42. In this manner the conveyor 44 may be tilted with respect to the deflectors 39 for apurpose hereinafter to be described. The side bars 45 of the conveyor 44 have apertures in their ends adapted to receive pins so that other sections of the conveyor may be detachably secured there to. One of these other sections is generally designated at 49 and consists merely of side bars 50 between which are pivoted rollers 51. The section 49 may in this manner be detachably secured to either end of the conveyor section 44. Pivoted members 63 are pivoted to depending arms which are secured to the inner side rail 45. The ends of the members 63 are upwardly inclined, as at 64, and they are adapted to normally lean against the brackets'38. The pivoted members are adapted to be thrust forwardly away from the brackets 38 and have their upper ends disposed in recesses shown as formed upon the inner side rail 45. Attached to the cross bar 42 is a cable or rope 52 which extends upwardly over pulleys 53 and 54, which may be mounted upon the support provided by the posts 15. The cable 52 extends downwardly from the pulley 54 between the posts 15 and is adapted to be wound upon a drum 55, which is mounted upon a shaft 56, which in turn is mounted upon the side rails 10 and 11. The shaft 56 carries a worm wheel 57 adapted to be engaged by a worm 58 mounted upon a spindle 59 which is journaled in bearings 60 mounted upon the frame. The spindle 59 may carry a suitable hand wheel 61. One of the side rails 10 or 11 preferably ext-ends forward a suflicient distance and indicated at 62 which provides a fulcrum.

The operation of the device is as follows: The motor 18 by means of the belt 22 and the pulley 20 drives the shaft 19, which in turn drives the shaft 24 at a slower speed and which in turn drives the shaft 28 at a still slower speed of rotation. The rotation of the shaft 28 causes the endless chains 35 to move, and the hooks 36 carried by the chains 35 will successively pass over the pulleys 30 and 31 upon the shaft 28. The articles of lumber designated at L may be lifted so as to extend across the fulcrum 62, and the laborer may then by bearing down upon the article of lumber swing it upwardl v into an approximately horizontal position, so that it will be engaged by the next hooks 36, which are brought upwardly by the'chains 35. As the hooks 36 engage the article of lumber L, the laborer releases it and the plank L may be lifted by the hooks. As the plank L is lifted by the hooks 36, it first engages the end 64 of the pivoted member 63 and will force the pivoted member to be swung outwardly away from the inclined members 17, so as to permit the plank to pass by the lower end of the pivoted members 63. The plank L then engages the lower inclined edge of the deflectors 39 and will be caused to be tilted away from the chains 35. WVhen the plank L has been sufficiently tilted, it will fall over off from the hooks 36 on to the rollers 46. After the lower end of the plank L has passed by the end 64 of the pivoted members 63, this member will fall back into its normal position so as to prevent the plank L from dropping between the conveyor section 44 and the inclined member 17. As the conveyor section 44, when the device is in operation, is preferably tilted either to one side or to the other, it will cause the plank L placed there on to roll downwardly over the rollers 46 on to the conveyor section 49, and over any other conveyor sections which may be se cured to the conveyor section 49.

As the pile of lumber formed increases in height, it is desirous to lift the deflectors 39 so that the planks L will not be removed from the chains 35 until they have been lifted a considerable distance. In this manner, rotation of the hand wheel 61 causes the worm 59 by its engagement with the worm wheel 57 to rotate the shaft 56 and wind the cable upon the drum 55. Tl e deflectors 39 will then be caused to slide upon the rails 37, lifting with them the conveyor section 44 and the pivoted members 63. By thus elevating the deflectors 39, the plank L will'not be removed from the chains 35 until it has been lifted the desired distance so that it can fall or pass upon the conveyor formed by the sections 44 and 49 to the top of the pile. By use of the worm 58 and the worm wheel 59, no fastening device is necessary to maintain the deflectors 39 and apparatus carried thereby in adjusted position.

From the above it is seen that a lumber handling and piling device is provided which may be moved from place to place and which will readily enable planks and other articles of lumber to be readily swung upon hooks carried by endless chains so as to be lifted thereby; and that means is pro vided for removing the planks or articles of lumber from the hooks at any desired elevation so that they may pass downwardly under gravity upon a conveyor to the desired location.

By having the inclined members 17 and the rails thereon rearwardly inclined, the danger of planks L from falling from the hooks 36 is greatly eliminated. The forward ends of the hooks 36 are preferably upwardly curved, as shown upon Fig. 1 so that the lower edges of the planks L placed thereon will not slip off.

It will be understood that various changes in the detail of construction may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A. lumber handling and piling device comprising a support, pulleys mounted upon said support, an endless chain running over said pulleys, hooks mounted upon said chain adapted to lift articles of lumber placed thereon, means for causing said chain to move over said pulleys, means for removing said articles from said hooks when elevated thereby, and a fulcrum provided upon said support to facilitate placing said articles upon said hooks.

2. A lumber handling and piling device comprising a support, pulleys mounted adjacent the top and bottom of said support, rails inclined upwardly against said support, endless chains extending over said pulleys and passing adjacent said rails, hooks provided upon said chains adapted to lift articles of lumber placed thereon, means for rotating one of said pulleys so as to drive said chains, deflectors slidable upon said rails adapted to remove the articles of lumber which are elevated by said hooks, means for holding said deflectors in adjusted position upon said rails, and a roller conveyor tiltably mounted upon said deflectors adapted to support and remove said articles after having engaged said deflectors.

3. A lumber handling and piling device comprising a support, pulleys mounted adjacent the top and bottom of said support,

rails inclined upwardly against said support, endless chains extending over said pulleys and passing adjacent said rails, hooks provided upon said chains adapted to lift articles of lumber placed thereon, means for rotating one of said pulleys so as to drive said chains, deflectors slidable upon said rails adapted to remove the articles of lumber which are elevated by said hooks, means for holding said deflectors in adjusted position upon said rails, a roller conveyor tiltably mounted upon said deflectors adapted to support and remove said articles after having engaged said deflectors, and pivoted members mounted upon said deflectors permitting said articles to engage said deflectors but prevent falling of said articles substantially as described.

4-. A lumber handling and piling device comprising a support, pulleys mounted adjacent the top and bottom of said support, endless chains extending over said pulleys, hooks carried by said chains, means for rotating one of said pulleys so as to drive said chains whereby articles of lumber placed on said hooks may be elevated thereby, inclined rails disposed adjacent said chains, deflectors slidable upon said rails, a winding mechanism disposed adjacent the bottom of said support, a cable secured to said deflectors and extending over the top of said support to said winding mechanism whereby the deflectors may be adjusted upon said rails, a roller conveyor adjustably mounted upon said deflectors so as to assume various inclined positions, and a conveyor section detachably and pivotally connected to the end of said conveyor.

In testimony whereof I have name to this specification.

WARREN STABKEY.

signed my 

